Appearing on the outer edge of the eye, crow's feet are among the first signs of skin aging. These are expression lines caused by contractions of part of the orbicularis muscle around the eye, which can become more pronounced when smiling, laughing, or squinting in bright light. While subtle eye contour wrinkles can be charming, overly deep wrinkles tend to distort and narrow the eyes.
Several techniques smooth crow's feet and open up the eyes: Botox injection, eyelid surgery, facelift or peel.
1. Causes of crow's feet
Crow's feet, along with frown lines and hollowing under-eye circles, are among the first signs of aging around the eyes. These are expression lines that can become more pronounced when smiling, laughing, or squinting in bright light.
Scientifically called "periorbital wrinkles," they are caused by several factors:
- The action of the orbicularis muscle of the eyelids, which forms an elliptical area around the eye and allows the eyes to close.
- The thinness of the periorbital skin, which promotes the appearance of fine lines (delicate skin can be more marked by muscle action than other tissues).
- The aging of the temporal area, which under the effect of gravity shifts downward and promotes the descent of the tail of the eyebrow and skin folds around the crow's feet.
Other factors can contribute to the aging of the skin around the eyes and, therefore, to the appearance of crow's feet, such as significant sun and UV exposure or the effect of cigarette smoke on the skin.
2. Options for rejuvenating the eye contour
Several aesthetic medicine techniques (non-surgical) or cosmetic surgery techniques treat crow's feet and aging of the skin around the eyes:
- A botulinum toxin (Botox) injection to limit the contractions of the orbicularis muscle that cause these wrinkles.
- Cosmetic eyelid skin surgery (blepharoplasty) to open up the eyes and achieve a deeper, longer-lasting action on this part of the orbicularis muscle by weakening the part responsible for the fine lines
- A facelift, notably a temporal lift to lift the tail of the eyebrow and re-tension the skin of this area
- A combined peel or a PRX-T33 biorevitalizing peel
During the initial consultation, the cosmetic surgeon will present the different options available based on your wishes, the extent of the wrinkles, and the characteristics of your tissues. Combined or sequential treatments can also be performed.
